Acetylene generator



June 24, 1930.

E. M. EVLETH ACETYLENE GENERATOR Filed June 24, 1925 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARL M'. E'VLETH, OF GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BASTIAN-IBLESSING OOMIPAN'Y, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORTION OF ILLINOIS AcnrYLEn-E GENERATOR Application led June 24, 1925. Serial No. 39,177.

This invention is an improvement in that type of acetylene generator in which the gas is produced by the action of water and carbide, one being fed to the other in quantities determined by the pressure of the generated asn Certain features of my invention relate more particularly to that type in which the carbide is fed to a water chamber andthe feed is controlled by the action of the gene'- rated gas on a bell partly submerged in water and movable to actuate the carbide feed valve.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple form of carbide feed control valve which may be moved bodily toward and from the hopper outlet to open or close the latter, but which when in normal maximum open position. does not permit the carbide to flow past it in a continuous stream except when the valve is moved by agitating or vibrating it.

A further object is to provide means whereby upon sealing and unsealing the carbide hopper from the water chamber, the sealing means acts to automatically close and open the carbide feed valve.

A further object of my invention is to con trol the operating pressure of the generator by means of the fall and rise of the water level in respect to the feed agitating bell, whereby the bell may 'remain at rest and the agitation of the feed valve will cease when the pressure exceeds a predetermined limit, but movement of the bell and valve will be re-established upon a drop in gas pressure and a corresponding rise in the water level.

A further object is to secure the maximum riser and fall of water level for a given change in gas pressure, whereby the apparatus is capable of automatically maintaining a more nearly uniform gas delivery pressure.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one construction which may be employed for securing the above mentioned objects, and which embodies various imortant features of my invention. It will e understood that although the construction illustrated is a preferred one, various changes may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in. the appended claims. The drawing shows a central, vertical section of a portion of a generator modified to embody my invention.

The generator includes two main chambers 10 and l1, the chamber 10 being the lower, and serving as a water storing and gas generating chamber, and the chamber 11 being at a higher elevation and serving as a carbide chamber or hopper. The main body of the hopper may be mounted on' the water chamber 10 and serve as a top or cover for the latter, the two havin lianges bolted together with a suitable gaset 12 to form a gas-tight seal. The hopper 11 has an entrance opening 13 through which carbide may be introduced, and this opening may have any suitable form of closure adapted to form a gas-tight seal, asl for instance a cap 14 with a gasket 15 and a retainer 16, shown as a yoke and hand screw.

The carbide hopper has an inclined bottom leading to a delivery outlet or mouth 17 encircled by a depending tubular neck 18 of larger diameter and preferably cast integral with the bottom wall. Extending along the under side of the bottom of the hopper is a gas delivery passage 19 which is preferably formed by a wall 20 cast integral with the bottom of the hopper andgopening at its lower or inner end through the side of the neck 18 below the carbide outlet 17 and above the lower end of the neck.

Within the neck 18 there is mounted the carbide feed valve. This is preferably of the poppet type and includes a valve plate 21 and a vertically disposed valve stem 22. The valve stem is mounted for vertical move- `pressure of the generated gas.

ment in a bracket 23 which may be mounted on the inner side of the neck 18. The valve plate is adapted to seat against the outlet or mouth 17, the valve stem being vertically movable in the bracket 23.i The'parts are so formed that when the valve is in the lower limiting position, as shown in the drawing, the carbide will not flow past the valve in a continuous stream. VThe valve plate has a central passage slightly larger than the valve stem and an inwardly directed flange at the up er end of the passage and resting upon a siioulder or the upper end of the stem, so that the valve plate may tip or tilt in res ect to the stem and may rotate thereon. The plate. and stem may be held in assembled relationship in any suitable manner, as for instance by a washer and a screw entering the up er end of the stem. By this construction t e carbide may be fed from the chamber by rocking or tilting the valve plate in respect to lts stem, and the outlet may be completely closed by raising the valve and stem.

The lower end of the neck 18 forms a valve seat for cooperation with a second valve which may be closed to seal the water chamber 10 from the carbide chamber 11. This is shown as a valve plate 24 having a valve facing or gasket 25 of asbestos cloth, or other suitable yielding material. The plate is secured to a valve stem 26 which is slidable in an arm 27 pivoted to the outer side of the neck 18. By swinging this arm the valve may be brought from the open position shown in solid lines to the closed position shown in dotted lines, and thus seal the lower end of the neck 18. The valve stem 26 between the valve plate and the bracket is provided with a spring whereby the valve may be yieldingly held against its seat. Any suitable means may be employed for operating the valve from the exterior of the generator, for instance the pvot pin 28 of the arm 27 may extend through a suitable stuffing box (not shown) to the exterior of the water chamber. The valve plate 24 is provided with a central boss or stud 24 which is so positioned and of such height that when the valve 26 is moved to closed position this boss engages with the lower end of the valve stem 22 and moves the carbide feed valve 21 to closed position. Thus the two valves are closed simultaneously by the action of the operating mechanism connected to only one of them.

The gas assage 19 serves also as a housing for a portion of the mechanism employed for rocking or tilting the feed valve 2l. This mechanism is so constructed that its operation is automatically controlled by the On one side of the fed hopper there is mounted a water chamber including two compartments, 29 and 30, in open communication with each other through a IU-shaped passage communieating with the lower portion of each compartment. The compartment l29 is shown as formed integral with a water chamber 31 and spaced above the latter and connected thereto by a neck or portion 32 of reduced diameter. The com artment 30 is connected to the lower part o the compartment 31 by a conduit 33. The conduit 33, compartment 31, and the neck 32, constitute the two legs of the yU-connection between the compartments 29 and 30. The compartment 31 is mounted on an elbow 34 which is secured to the side of the hopper and in open communication with the upper outer end of the passage 19. A tube 35 extends upwardly from the elbow 34 through the compartment 31 and neck 32 into the compartment 29. The up r end of the compartment 29 is provide with screens 36 and a cap 37 having an outlet to which the gas delivery conduit may be connected.

Within the compartment 29 there is mounted a bell 38 which encirclesv and encloses the upper end of the tube 35 and terminates within the neck 32. This bell is supported by and secured to a vertical rod 39 which extends through the tube 35 into the elbow 34 and is there connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 40 pivoted on a bracket 41 and having the other arm extending through the passage 19 to a point adjacent to or 1n operative en agement with the carbide feed valve 21. he bracket 41 may be cast integral with the elbow and ex tend from the end thereof inwardly to the pro r point in the passage 19.

T e compartments 29, 30 and 31 are adapted to contain water and are provided with suitable means for filling, draining and securing the desired level. The compartment 30 has a illin opening normally sealed by a plug 42 so t at gas pressure may be maintained in the compartment 30 and transmitted thereto through the conduit 33. The compartment 31 has a drainage opening normally closed by a plug 43 and the compartment 29 has an o ening in the side thereof slightly below tiie upper end of the tube 39, and which serves to determine the liquid level in the compartment when the gas pressure is at the minimum, namely that of the atmosphere. This opening is normally closed by a plug 44.

n operation the compartments 29, 30 and 31 are filled with water through the filling opening, and to a level determined by the plug 44. The plugs 42 and 44 are then replaced to prevent escape of gas. It will be noted that the water level 1s then at substantially thebottom of the compartment 30 and at 'the level indicated by the dot and dash line in the compartment 29 slightly below the upper end of the tube 35. Gas upon being generated in the water combles from beneath the partment 10 will How 19, elbow 34, tube 35, and' will force the water down out of the bell 38 and escape beneath the lower edge of the latter to the compartment 29 and flow through the filter screens 36 to the receiver or point of use. At" the start the pressure in the compartment 30 will be substantially that of the atmosphere, but as the pressure in the compartmentl 29 and the delivery@v s stem increases, the water level will be orced down inthe compartment 29 and forced up in the compartment 30. As the gas bublower edge o the bell 38 it causes a rising and falling of the bell through a comparatively small range, and this results in a corresponding vibration of the bell crank lever 40. As a result the carbide feed valve 21v is vibrated or oscillated and carbide is caused to be delivered from the carbide chamber to the water chamber. If the gas pressure continues to increase to such a point that the water level in the compartment 29 is forced down to a point below the lower edge of the bell 38, the gas may flow freely from ben neath the edge of the bell without agitating or vibrating the latter, and the carbide feed valve 21 will remain at rest. Thus when the pressure reaches a predetermined point the further feeding o carbide will cease and the generation of gas will also in time cease. The drawing shows the water levels under high back pressure conditions. It will be noted that the water level has been raised in the compartment 30 to midway of the height. If the bottom of com# partment 30 is level with the plug 44, forcing water into the compartment 30 to half fill it and reduce the air space by one-half, as shown, will occur when the gas pressure is about double that of the atmosphere, or about 15 pounds above atmosphere. The pressure on the gas is not due primarily to the difference in level in the two compartments, but is mainly due to the compression of the trapped air or gas in the compartment 30.

When the pressure is such that the water level is forced down into the neck 32 it will be noted that due to the small area of the neck there may through the passage be a considerable variation in water level in the latter with comparatively slight change in'water level in the compartment 30. Thus comparatively slight changes in gas pressure when the pressure is near the desired limit, will bring the water level below or above the lower edge of the bell. As the carbide feeding stops or starts with the sto ping or starting of agitation of the bel 38, it will be noted that the gas deliveryv pressure may be maintained substantially constant, that is, the lpressure variation will be comparatively slight. The devicel thus operates to maintain a substantially uniform gas delivery pressure.

For starting the carbide fed when the pressure is low and no gas is being generated, suitable means are provide-d for manually agitating the valve 21 or the actuating mechanism therefor. As shown, a handle 45 is provided with a shaft Asection 46 projecting through the wall of the elbow 34 and having an eccentrically disposed pin 47 normally out of the path of the lever 41, but which may be brought into engagement with said lever to depress and release the latter and agitate the valve 21, by a rotation of the handle 45 through approximately 180. When enough carbide has been deposited in the water by this means to start the generation of gas, the flow of gas from beneath the bell will automatically continue the agitation and carbide feeding until the pressure reaches the desired limit which is determined by the forcing of the water level below the lower edge of the bell.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction illustrated, without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance the valve plate 24 and its gasket 25 may be omitted. The boss 29 carried by the arm 27 would act the same to close the valve 21, and the latter might be relied upon to give the water-tight` seal between the chambers. If the Valve plate 24 be omitted the wall 20 may likewise be omitted, so that the elbow 34 would open directly into the chamber 10. Various other forms of universal joints or other ,connections between the valve plate 21 and the stem 22 might be employed. which would permit the desired relative movement. instance the stem might terminate in a ball on which might seat the proper .form of socket in the under surface of the valve plate 21 with a depending ilangeorvother retainer. y c Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An acetylene generator, including a carbide chamber having a carbide outlet, a water chamber adapted to receive the carbide, a carbide feed valve of the poppet type movable vertically in respect to the outlet to open or closed position, means for limiting the opening movement of said valve whereby when at rest it prevents the ow of a continuous stream of carbide from said carbide chamber to the water chamber and means operated by the flow of generated gas for agitating said valve to effect feeding action. 2. An acetylene generator including a car-l bide chamb'er, a water chamber adapted to receive the carbide, a carbide feed valve of the poppet type having a vertically disposed valve stem, means for movin said stem endwise, and separate means or tilting said For iio

valve in respect to said stem to effect feeding movement of the carbide.

3. An acetylene generator including a car bide chamber, a water chamber adapted to receive the carbide, a carbide feed valve of the poppet type having a verticali?7 disposed valve stem, means engaging saiA valve to tilt the latter in respect to the stem to effect' feeding action, and means engaging with said stem to open or close the valve.

4. An acetylene generator including a carbide chamber, a water chamber adapted to receive the carbide, a air of valves, one acting to seal said cariiide chamber from said water chamber, and the other serving to control the feed of carbide from said carbide chamber when the first mentioned valve is open, means for raising said first mentioned valve to close the same, and means carried by said iirstI mentioned valve for actuating the second mentioned valve to raise and close the latter'.

5. An acetylene generator including a carbide hopper, a water chamber adapted to receive the carbide, a valve for sealing the carbide hopper from the water chamber, a valve disposed above the first mentioned 'valve for controlling the feed of carbide, said second mentioned valve having a vertically slidable stem, and said first mentioned valve having a pivoted supporting arm and a part adapted to engage with said stem to close the second mentioned valve upon closing the first mentioned one.

6. An acetylene generator of the type de fined in claim 5, in which there is provided means projecting between said valves and adapted to engage with the second mentioned valve for agitating the latter when the first mentioned valve is in open position.

7. An acetylene generator including a carbide hopper havin,nr an outlet opening, a neck encircling said: opening and having a gas outlet conduit from the generator, the inlet end of which opens into said neck, a valve for closing said hopper outlet, a separate valve for closing the lower end of said neck to stop delivery of gas through said conduit, and means for operating said valves simultaneously.

8. An acetylene generator including a carbide hopper having an outlet opening, a poppet valve for closing said outlet, said valve having a vertically movable stem and a valve plate with universal joint connections thereto, an arm pivotally supported below and at one side of said valve, and carrying means for engaging said stem to lift said valve to closed position, and means for tilting said valve plate in respect to the stem when in open position.

9. An acetylene generator including a carbide hopper having a tubular extension at the lower end thereof and provided with a gas outlet through the side of said extension, a bracket within said extension, a poppet valve having a vertically slidable stem carried by said bracket and movable to close lthe outlet from said hopper, and a valve adapted to close the lower end of said extension, and having means for engaging with the lower end of said stem to lift the first mentioned valve to closed position upon movement of the second mentioned valve to closed` osition.

10. n acetylene generator including a carbide hopper having a tubular extension at the lower end thereof and provided with a gas outlet through the side of said extension, a bracket within said extension, a poppet valve having a vertically slidable stem carried by said bracket and movable to close the outlet from said hopper, and a valve adapted to close the lower end of said extension, means extending through said gas outlet for vibrating said first mentioned valve, and means for simultaneously closing both of said valves.

'11. An acetylene generator including a carbide hopper having a depending neck with a gas outlet through the side thereof, a poppet valve at the upper end of said neck for controlling the feed of carbide, a valve for sealing the lower end of said neck, an agitator projecting through said gas outlet for operating said poppet valve when the latter is in open position, and independent means for li ting said poppet valve out of engagement with said agitator.

12. An acetylene generator including a carbide hopper having a depending neck with a gas outlet through the side thereof, a poppet valve at the upper end of said neck for controlling the feed of carbide, a valve for sealing the lower end of said neck, an agitator projecting through said gas outlet for operating said poppet valve when the latter is in open position, independent means for lifting said poppet valve out of engagement with said agitator, a water chamber, a bell therein connected to said agitator, and means for delivering gas from said gas outlet to said water chamber beneath said bell.

13. An acetylene generator including a. movable carbide feed closure, a water chamber, a comparatively small bell in said chamber operatively connected to said closure, means for delivering gas beneath said bell and means permitting lowering of the water level'in said chamber to a point below said bell to permit free escape of the gas from the bell chamber upon increase in gas pressure beyond a predetermined limit.

14. An acetylene generator including a movable carbide feed closure, a water chamber having two compartments with open communication below the lowest water level in either, the upper portion of each compartment being out of direct communication with the upper portion of the other,

one of said chambers having the water surface exposed' to back pressure of generated gas, whereby increase in back pressure lowers the water level in said last mentioned compartment by forcing water through said communication to the other compartment, and means in said first mentioned compartment for` operating said closure, the operation of said means being dependent upon the water level in said first mentioned compartment.

15. An acetylene generator including a movable carbide feed closure, a water chamber having two compartments, the only communication between said compartments being below the lowest water level in either, one of said chambers having the water surface exposed to back pressure of generated gas, whereby increase in back pressure lowers the water level in said last mentioned compartment by forcing water through said communication to the other compartment, and means for stopping the action of said feed closure when the water level is forced below a predetermined point in said first mentioned compartment.

16. An acetylene generator including a water chamber having two compartments, a bell in one of said compartments, a conduit for delivering gas beneath said bell, a movable carbide faced closure operatively connected to said bell, and connections betweenvsaid compartments whereby water is forced from said first mentioned compartment to the other com artment and to a level below the lower eiige of said bell in said first mentioned compartment when the gas pressure exceeds a predetermined limit.

17. An acetylene generator including a water chamber having two compartments, one having a portion of reduced diameter, a gas delivery pipe in said portion, a bell over said pipe and having its lower edge within said portion, a gas outlet from the upper part of said compartment, the other compartment being closed except for communication with the lower part of the first mentioned compartment below the lower edge of said bell, and serving as an expansion chamber, and a movable carbide feed closure operatively connected to said bell, said bell being movable by the action of gas delivered through said pipe when the gas pressure in said first mentioned compartment is below a predetermined limit and the water level in said first mentioned compartment is above, the lower edge of said bell, said bell permitting free delivery of gas to said first mentioned compartment without actuation of the bell and feed closure when the gas pressure forces the water level below the edge of the bell by delivering water to said expansion chamber.

18. An acetylene generator including a Water chamber having two compartments, a

.U-connection between the bottom of one compartment and the bottom of the other, one of said compartments being exposed to gas pressure, and the other of said compartments being closed except for said U-ccnnection, a movable carbide feed closure, and a controlling part in the leg of said U-connection communicating with said first mentioned compartment and operatively connected to said closure to stop the feeding action when the water level is forced below a predetermined point in said leg by increase ln gas pressure.

19. An acetylene generator having a movable carbide feed closure, an operating member therefor, a bell connected to said member, a conduit for delivering gas from said generator to a point beneath said bell, a water chamber within which said bell is mounted and having a gas outlet above said bell, and an expansion chamber communicating with the lower part of said water chamber and adapted to receive water from said chamber to permit variation in water level in said chamber in accordance with changes in the ressure of the gas generated.

20. n acetylene generator, including, a movable carbide feed closure, a water chamber, a comparatively small bell in said chamber operatively connected to said device and having limited vertical movement, means for delivering gas from the generator to a point beneath the bell to edect agitation of the latter by the bubbling of the gas out from under said bell to said water chamber, and means for lowering the water level in said water chamber to a point below the lower edge of said bell to permit free escape of gas from beneath the bell without agitation of the latter when the pressure in the generator exceeds a predetermined limit.

21. An acetylene generator, including a carbide chamber having an outlet, a poppet valve at said outlet, means for bodily raising or lowering the valve to close or open said outlet, a vibratory device in the path of the outflow of generated gas, and connections between said device and said poppet valve for agitating the latter when in open position to effect carbide feed.

22. An acetylene generator, carbide chamber having an valve at said outlet, means ing or lowering the valve to close or open said outlet, a vibratory device in the path of the outow of generated gas, and connections including a bell crank lever between said device and said poppet valve for agitating the latter when in open position to effect carbide feed.

23. An acetylene including a outlet, a poppet generator, including a carbide chamber and having an outlet, a, valve of the poppet type at said outlet, a for bodily moving or closed posimanually operable lever said valve vertically to open llO for bodily rais; 'd

and State of Illinois, this 19 day of June, A. D. 1925. EARL M. EVLETH. 

